h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

"Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech." Benjamin Franklin

Each September the American Library Association sets aside one week for the celebration of intellectual freedom and the First Amendment. Banned Books Week was created to highlight the importance of free speech and free expression. This freedom - the freedom to read - is continuously under attack both in the United States and around the world. Efforts are underway to censor the content of books and to remove "objectionable" books from school and public libraries. Books are challenged and banned for political, religious, social and sexual content.

This issue became even more important to me this year when the school board in the community in which I live removed three books from the Middle School library and restricted the use of three others. The books were deemed inappropriate for middle school children because they deal frankly with adolescent issues such as emerging sexuality. During the course of the debate words used to describe the books, the author and the books' supporters included deranged, sinful, abomination, hell-bound, disgusting, perverted, and anti-American.

Democracy is founded of a set of fundamental premises. One of these is that the ordinary citizen is capable of exercising critical judgment. Those who favor censorship assume the opposite. They believe that the public is incapable of differentiating between good and evil and that it is therefore their right and duty to make that determination for us.

In the case of my community, the censors have justified their actions by declaring that they are protecting our children. I believe that it is the responsibility of parents to supervise the reading materials of their children until they develop critical judgment. As a public library director, it is not my responsibility or right to act in place of or in the absence of the parents. I also believe that risking the loss of our freedom of speech and a free press is far more serious than any risk a child faces from reading the works of award- winning authors such as Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Judy Blume, and Robert Cormier.

For more information about Banned Books Week including lists of challenged books go to http://www.ala.org/bbooks/

"It's not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written. The books that will never be read. And all due to the fear of censordhip. As always, young readers will be the real losers." Judy Blume

Yeah! What you said! And make mine a double!

Here are a couple things you may need here in the h2g2 vortex.
plunger
loo brush
blanket

a trick some men like
brandy
fire
...jusss let me know if you need sumthin' else or sumthin'.
I have a cottage in The Villa De La Vavoom. You might want to snatch yourself up one too. (out of 'all' the names...to pick from...that was the name voted in for the Village......the shame of it is...I listed the name!!Who knew?!?!)

For a good time, may I suggest you visit 'Pierce'? Jusss tell him Pandora sent cha'! We go back a looooong way.

Ask him anything about music...& he's such a cutie-pie!

Actually, if I worried aboutMODERATORS I would never post here. They can full well bite my shiney hiney.
Which reminds me...Welcome! If you'd like to join my Church, please stop by. Ohmyhell!!! Noone told me it was Sunday!!! Crap! Services!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~See ya' later!

Thanks for the welcome, Pandora.

I'm enjoying h2g2, but the hardest thing sometimes is finding time to be online.

I'm not musical, myself, but certainly appreciate those who are. And I'm not much of a church goer either. But Born Again Tarts might be something else altogether.

Let's see, I live in Southwest Missouri in a regular house - not a cabin in the woods . But I do have some Cherokee blood, although not nearly as much as you have. My dad's mother was half Cherokee and her sister married a full blood Shawnee, so I have relatives who are able to claim the Native American title, even if I can't. The "rest" of me is mostly English with a little German thrown in.

I'm a librarian - guess you figured that out - yearning to be free. I'm 53. I've been married nearly 30 years, have 3 stepchildren and 2 grandchildren. Guess that makes me older than most of the hootoo crowd. On the other hand, I've already done things they're just thinking about! And done them damn well!

Age be damned!
I think you'll find lots of *ahem* seasoned Hikers here.

Hey, I love Mo.!! Do you know David Grove? He lives around there...somewhere. He's now a writer. I sold my beloved piano to go to one of his seminars in STL...He wrote: 'Resloving Tramatic Memories'...all 'bout metaphors and healing the wounded child within......*whispers...*I'm a therapist as well as a writer...don't let that get around...my reputation, you know.

Fridays are usually pretty dead around here. Everyone's trying to play catch-up at w*rk. Since I w*rk from home it matters not when I play, sleep, etc.....*pats the logs...*

I began The Church of the Born Again Tarts (b.a.t.s for short) for those of us who really have no organized religion. With MY Church...there's still asolutely no organization...but it's a really awsome way to chase Bible thumpers back to their cars.
Jusss make up your own pamphlets & agree to take theirs...if they'll take yours!
I do believe I've actually been black balled from ALL local churches. Mama would have been so proud.

Fraid I don't know David Grove. I live in a small town no one has ever heard of just north of Joplin - which no one has ever heard of.

The whole religion thing makes me angry and frustrated. No one actually knows anything, so why pretend? It's a lot of people hoping their right. And it just gives people an excuse to separate themselves into little groups so they can feel superior to everyone else.

I'm glad there are some Mature folks around. On the other hand, it's a super place to act immature. I have to be so dignified and respectable at work all the time. It's a real burden sometimes.

My project for this weekend is to memorize the smiley page.

Not meaning to be a wise a**...but couldn't ya' jusss print it out?

When I asked if you "knew" Grove, I was speaking of his writting.
His series is on tape as well. I thought perhaps you'd run across it where you w*rk. He has one of those places somewhere oone's ever heard of too...one of America's castles...really went over the top with the whole thing...blasted a cave outta' rock...
blasted a lake outta' rock...then put a glass houseboat on the lake...just for grins. Then...he discovered that the rate of exchange between the UK & the USA was not to his advantage!
Ain't that sad?!

Reading is one of the things I learned to do very early in life. By 3 I was reading Poe...with expression.

Have you met up with Paul H yet? He also w*rks in a library and collects silly songs. He's wonderful too...and in our, er your age group as well.

Hope you'll forgive all the typos & such...if I turned on the word check, I'd be stopping every other word. I never even typed until college...so...using a mac is WAY over my head. And with these long fingernails...I'm screwed when it comes to the key pad. Besides...I'm use to having a secratary &/or editor.

Ahhhhh....life in the sticks. Ooooo...I almost remember what dining out nightly was like.
...*goes to look in the fridge for the unteenth time today...sees a huge puffball...apple cider...and something that seems to be evolving to a new life form...*

We can talk religion some other time, if you don't mind...my head already aches with the changing weather. Crap. Closing the pool for the season always bums me out. I couldn't find anyone to build anything over that sucker so I could use it year 'round.Just another "Oh well" situation.

~later~

Actually I did print out the smileys. But I have a bad habit of never having the sheet at whatever computer I'm using. So I printed out a second set, which I took home and immediately lost. Printed third set for house; fourth set for library. Actually, I don't know whether it would be harder to memorize the list or find the damn thing. Being well organized is not one of my virtues................not sure I have any virtues.

Your winter water problem is a tad larger than mine. I'm trying to figure out how to get the heater for the birdbath to work. So, do you drain the pool, cover it, or what?

My husband isn't well, so we don't go out much anymore either. We are going to try to get away this weekend, but the last 3 times I've scheduled myself a long weekend something has come up to cancel it. I like to cook, but there are times when it's sure nice to have someone else do it.

We don't have anything by Grove in the library. I'll try to locate something of his to read. And I'll look up your friends Pierce and Paul H and say hi.

Your plunger looks amazingly like a toffeapple. Is that social commentary?

Well, you see...back when DNA still ran this place...I had a discussion about giving into smilie requests. I thought that one day, we wouldn't even need word, as we could just use smilies.
So, each time new ones arrive...I, ...*makes a note to check self for OCD...*turn them into things other than what they were meant to be...just to prove 'I' still have an amagination.











Just covered the pool today!

Sorry your hubby's not well.

I don't mind cooking. As a matter of fact I find it to be quiet a stress reliever! Not the cooking so much as the beating of the smoke alarms with the broom handle.

Glad to have a new gal-pal...so many men...

Hmmm...I see your Halloween costum is already in need of repair! That's a rough crowd at the Crossed Porpuses. We "have to" move into a new thread every month...
I have absolutely no idea why.

Geez...if you understand Grove...once you've read him...
You'll have a bit of a lookabout into my mind!
Cept' I'm smarter than he is. Hope he didn't see this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...*writes across the sky...*
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::LATER LADY H! :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Crossed Purposes is totally bent. I like that.

I am so out of time. Am taking my hubby to be measured for new heart valves on Monday and have to do a million things.

Thanks for making me feel welcome. I enjoy talking to you and hope you won't abandon me if I disappear for a few days.

You take care of what you want to get done and 'll wait right here for you. You certainly fit right in at the CP...most people come and then go...rather quickly. Most of us there now, have been there for quiet awhile! Many have become RL friends...& more.

I'll send you my energy, as I won't be needing it for awhile...
...*sucks on her tippy bottle of johnson's baby valium and rootbeer...*jusss awaken me when you get back around.
Safe journey!!

Just popping in. I plan to spend the day decorating my front porch for Halloween!

So many of the conversations I've "lurked" in on are so intense. I have enough of that in RL. The CP is just fun. Lil's is fun also, but there's so much RL stuff is mixed in with the role playing that it was really hard at first to figure out who was real and who wasn't.

I'll check in with you tomorrow after we get home from the hospital. Keep your fingers crossed.

They didn't measure his valve. They're going to do another angiogram first. He had bypass surgery several years ago and they need to find out how the grafts are holding up. I guess if he needs new ones they'll do that at the same time. God knows when it will all actually be scheduled.

You should see my front porch! It is so totally that the neighborhood kids are in awe. I have purple rope lights and a lighted spider sculpture and a seven foot Frankenstein. A jack-o-lantern of course. And a hugh pile of topsoil that I ordered but haven't had time to spread has become graves with strange things trying to crawl out. Tons of cobwebs and every imaginable size of spider to drop on unsuspecting small goblins! Bwaaaaahaaaaaahaaaaaaa!

What I need tonight is a quiet spot, a good book and a snifter full of B&B. Don't suppose I'll scrounge up any except the latter. The book I'm stuck with is not wonderful.. I need to read it for our book discussion group tomorrow afternoon. It got good reviews, but it puts me to sleep everytime I try reading it. The Persia Cafe by Melany Neilson. It's about racism and murder in Mississippi in the early 60's. I have until 3:30 tomorrow to find something intelligent to say about it.

...welll you could always say it sucked! And then suggest they read Follow The River by Mary Ingles...the best book I have ever read!!! ...It's a true account of being taken by Indians. I promise you'll not fall asleep reading it!

I use to have a charity organization...and each year one of the things we would do is have a haunted trail in the local park.
I use to make graveyards by sticking piceces of slate(s) into the ground...then take latex gloves...with wire in them to look like hands with fingers grouping...and set pumpkins around so they would glow...Oooooo...we always tied rope trom tree to tree so they goers would know where to go. One year after we'd set up the graveyard...we dug a hole...right next to the rope...as people leaned over the rope to see the graves...my friend Rick would pop up from beneath a pile of leaves that covered the hole next to the rope!! I wish I had counted how many people actually peed themselves!

Your yard sound nice. I have a ghost on my porch and a chainsaw carved jack-o-lantern with a light inside that's on a timer. Way out here...evern the geese don't stop by.

Keep me up to date on your hubby.
My father-in-law has had a triple bypass & I can't count the shunts. But will he stop eating butter, etc.? Nope.
Men...can't live with um & there's no hunting season either.

I never did finish the book. So I'll cheat. I printed off a bunch of the reviews and will come up with some intelligent questions. then I can let those who actually read the book do the talking. No one will be the wiser. These reviews are great. Makes it sound like a knockout book. Maybe I was too sober when I tried reading it.

More computer problems today. Sometimes I wish I hadn't brought a single one intothe building. The public is really rough on them. Now my stupid web server is being contrary.

Nice idea for a story...........hunt men then stuff and mount them over the fireplace. Only decision would be whether to have an open season or restrict it to bow hunters only. Frank eats a lot of fruit and veggies so he thinks it's okay to have the donuts, spare ribs and pecan pie. No point trying to reason with him. Frank and reason do not occupy the same dimension.

Your cabin sounds like the perfect spot for a Halloween party.Who knows what would come crawling out of the woods. Oooooh Oooooh Oooooh!

I know what comes crawling out of 'these' woods...that's why when I sleep outside I keep a firearm at my side.

I see Frank and Dude have the same mind set...I think it looks something like this inside their heads__________________.


I stopped all my clubs, organizations, etc.. Although I still go to the local VFW & AM. Legion for free drinks. Of course they cost SOMEone money...but it's neve me.
Since I don't drink like I use to...I try to really make up for lost time when I do go out.

...*looks around...*I guess I could have a party...there are plenty of cob webs......sorta' seems a shame ta' waste um.

Life is way too short not to party when you have the chance.

I really don't drink that much. I just threaten to if things don't calm down.

Busy day. Tired.

...*hmmmm she must not know my reputation...*
Right. A party might be interesting.

...*the only thing she didn't get for the cabin that she still needs is a revolving door...*

Hey, if the pool freezes solid in the winter you could have a skating party.

Twisted my ankle yesterday so am limping around like an old woman. We had someone here from the state library for a meeting and I was so thrilled when everyone finally left that I fell down the stairs. So I had a large cognac and conned Frank into waiting on me all evening. The swelling is going down, but it still hurts like the

I have a thrilling afternoon/evening planned......a 5 hour meeting for a group called Caring Communities. I'm not sure what they think the library can do for at risk families that we're not already doing. Guess I'll find out. But, they'll feed me. If it's another buffet of cold deli meats and potato salad I think I'll barf.

...*scoots back from screen incase of barf...*

When I built the cabin...I picked a spot 1/4 mile into the next county. ...when the phone rings...I can say things like:
Oh, I would LOVE to run for mayor!!! However, I'm no longer in your county.

I damned well did my time for the community......
'nuff already.

...*does a spell to make ankle better...*My frieds Rick and Dinna were just here and telling of a cop ... a BIG bruiser playing with his children...the tin wife said, "Hey, I want n on that!"...she took a running leap adn knocked him flat...but he'd managed to put his BIG foot right into a hole & it snapped like a branch! (notice I didn't say "twig" as he was so BIG)
Now, doesn't your ankle feel MUCH better?!

Well....it certainly puts things into perspective.

We had bow tie pasta with a too tomatoey sauce, chicken breasts that were cooked to the consistency of rubber , a rather nice salad, good garlic bread and lots of cheesecake. So it was a mixed bag.

The swelling is going down on the ankle and it feels quite a bit better. I'm sure your spell was the determining factor. Muchas gracias.

The group has decided that the library can serve as a point for distributing information about their programs. Honest to goddess, that's what they said. What a concept! Why the didn't I think of that?

If you work it right you can vote in both counties.